Nighttime Fears
by Mimozka
Summary: It's been years since Oliver's nightmares ended, yet he still finds himself unable to sleep at night. This time for an altogether different reason. Future!Fic Fluff Ahead!


_**An Olicity Future-Fic that came at me out of the blue and demanded to see the light of day. Enjoy. **_

_**P.S.: Oliver and Felicity belongs to their respective owners and not to me.**_

* * *

Oliver tossed in bed for the umpteenth time that night.

"Relax, she'll be just fine. She's sleeping." his wife's sleepy voice soothed him. "Go to sleep, Oliver." her arm sneaked onto his chest and her fingers clutched at his shirt.

Half an hour later his wife was asleep but Oliver was still lying awake in their bed staring blankly at the ornate ceiling, having given up on tossing and turning for fear of waking his wife. She was a petite little thing that could become the stuff your worst nightmares are made of if you messed up her sleeping schedule and / or (if you were stupid enough) her tech equipment. Oliver knew better than to do either and he'd learned that the hard way. Besides, she wasn't getting much sleep nowadays, so she could use the much deserved rest.

* * *

Felicity woke up feeling more refreshed than she had in a long while now. She felt her way through her nightstand in search of her phone and startled awake as soon as she saw what time it was. It was only after she felt and heard no response from the spot next to her on the bed that she realized that her husband was not even there.

Shaking her head, she got out of bed and put her robe on.

* * *

The first time Oliver Queen heard his wife say he was going to be a father e was a mess. At first, fear and uncertainty had struck him like a bolt of lightning making it hard for him to breathe, but then wonder and disbelief parted the dark shadows hanging over him to make room for the joy and hope. Hope that there was still a chance for redemption, that he was not yet lost beyond saving.

The first time he'd heard the sound of his baby's heart - he cried. With real, big, fat tears falling freely down his face. There were only two other people who knew of this occurrence - the first being his wife -who wasn't doing much better herself - and his wife's OB/GYN who was doing the ultrasound. They have both been sworn to secrecy. He'd deny it if you asked him about it now. After all, he had a reputation to uphold.

When he found out they were having a girl he felt like he was on a roller coaster. At first he was overjoyed by the prospect of having a 'mini-me' version of his wife, but that joy was squashed and forgotten as soon as he realized that if his baby girl looked anything like her mother - the most beautiful woman in existence if you asked his very unbiased opinion - then she was bound to get noticed by boys… On the other hand he was pretty good looking, too - if his wife's constant freudian slips and innuendos were anything to go by. Oh, Hell, he was doomed! Doomed to die a young death, defending his daughter's honor from some punk ass kid who didn't know his head from his ass. And no, the irony was not lost on him. His wife had made fun of him for months, once he'd told her about it. In fact, thanks to him, they didn't even need to announce the sex of their baby. One look at his half-grumpy, half-horrified expression and everyone knew the outcome.

* * *

Felicity would never forget the day her daughter was born. She'd been in the hospital for sixteen hours - cursing her husband and everything that moved into oblivion (especially the nurses who came at her with needles. The only thing that saved them was the epidural that the syringe contained) - before her daughter decided to make her appearance into the world. She obviously took after her 'always-late' father in the punctuality department.

Sarah Olivia was born a little after midnight on a very cold February night.

Felicity would never forget when she first held her daughter and seemed to forget how to breathe, speak or think. She'd always remember watching her husband hold their baby and the way her tiny frame disappeared in his loving embrace. The way he kept her close to his chest with his face centimeters away from her tiny one, whispering his undying love for her. If Felicity didn't feel the very same way herself, she might have been afraid she was being replaced.

It was the morning after Sarah was born - her husband thought she was still asleep - that she would remember and treasure in her mind and heart for as long as she lived and possibly even afterwards. She listened to her husband vow to always love their daughter little princess*, to always protect her and to provide her with the best life he was capable of. Felicity listened to him talk to Sarah about his hopes for her future and how much he didn't know he needed her for his life to finally feel full and complete. She listened how he marveled at the fact that such a tiny little person could be his salvation. She was a sobbing mess, by the time that was over.

And for the record, her husband's vows are a sacred thing.

* * *

When Felicity entered the dimply lit nursery, her eyes first fell on the white crib that contained the sleeping form of her baby girl. Next, her gaze fell on the rocking chair opposite to it, where she expected to find her husband keeping watch on their daughter during her first night in the nursery.

He did not disappoint.

"Oliver," she whispered quietly, approaching him, "Has she been sleeping the entire time?"

Oliver shook his head. "I fed her about an hour ago."

"Why didn't you wake me?" Felicity asked.

Her husband tore his gaze from the crib to look at her. "You need the rest. You're exhausted." he explained softly.

"And you don't?" Felicity asked, now standing in front of him.

Oliver shook his head.

"Come on, come to bed." Felicity tugged on his arm.

The man just shook his head again and remained seated.

Felicity sighed and moved to sit on his lap, her arms forming a circle around his neck.

"She's perfectly safe in here. The lamp is on, I've installed at least five cameras around here, the baby monitor is on,and the only way anyone is ever getting through that window is if they blast it open." Oliver had made sure that the door and window in the nursery were bulletproof. Felicity thought it was too much ,but knew better than to say anything.

Oliver tensed underneath her at her words and she groaned inwardly, knowing she'd just given him one more ridiculous scenario to worry himself silly over.

"Not that anybody would," she hurried to soothe him.

"I can't leave her by herself." Oliver murmured into her shoulder. "She'll be afraid to wake up all alone in an unfamiliar room."

"Baby, she's out like a light and she won't be up until the sun is up unless she needs a diaper change." Felicity reasoned with him softly, running one hand through his hair and the other along his now smooth jaw. Once Oliver had realized that his stubble was preventing him from properly nuzzling into his daughter and kissing her, because the hairs irritated her sensitive skin he'd gotten rid of the offending stubble in under ten minutes.

"And I think, that maybe, you're the one who's afraid." she added with a small tilt of her head.

"Aren't you?" he asked her almost inaudibly.

To his surprise, Felicity shook her head. "No, I'm not. First of all, she's a Queen - girl and we're a tough bunch, let me tell you that." she chuckled quietly. "Besides, I have nothing to be afraid of as long as you're with us. I know that we'll always be safe with you." She felt him nod silently against her collarbone, "I love you."

Oliver pressed a kiss to the exposed skin on her robe's neckline "Love you, too."

They stayed like that for another few minutes, before getting up and approaching the crib to lean over it and whisper their 'I love you' s and 'good night' s to little Sarah. After which Oliver let Felicity drag him back to their bed, but not before making sure that the door to the nursery was slightly ajar (as well as their own bedroom door), the light in the hallway was on as well as the baby monitor which he nestled between their pillows.

That way even if his baby girl woke up and didn't find him by her side, she'd see the light and know he was coming for her.

* * *

_**The End.**_

_**P.S. * According to my copy of Penguin's Baby Names book the name 'Sarah' (which comes from hebrew so I assure you it's correct) means 'princess' which I thought was fitting since Felicity would always be Oliver's Queen and their daughter would be his princess. Also, it's not mentioned, but in this universe, Sara is a dear friend to them both and she's dead, so it is also partly in her honor. The name Olivia has no connection to Oliver. I just like it a lot. **_

_**I hope you enjoyed what was supposed to originally be something no more than 500 words…I'd love to hear your opinions.**_


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